Catfish & Orange Skies

Maya's palm sweats had basically become a permanent condition since Friday night. Her iphone clutched tight, she sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor, staring at Leo's profile—again.

"You're literally gonna burn a hole through that screen," her little brother said, popping his head in. The family cat, Mochi, wound around his legs like a liquid shadow.

"Get out, Lucas."

"Mom says dinner's ready. Also, you're being a creep."

Maya waited until his footsteps faded before clicking on Leo's story again. There it was: the photo from Friday's party. Him against that orange sunset, looking like something out of a movie. Looking at someone off-camera, smiling like they were his whole universe.

She'd been convinced that someone was her. They'd talked for, like, three hours that night. About everything. Music, his deadbeat dad, her anxiety about college applications. He'd told her she was different from other girls. He'd said he'd been waiting to meet someone like her.

Now he hadn't replied to her texts in two days.

"Spying again?" Her best friend Sasha dropped onto Maya's bed, already knowing the answer. They'd been through this before—last fall with that guy from geometry who turned out to have a girlfriend. The time before that with the soccer player who'd only been nice because he wanted Maya's history notes.

"He posted a story," Maya said, her voice cracking. "At the beach. With her."

Sasha leaned over, scanning the screen. "Maya. That girl has bright blue hair. She's wearing a different school's jersey. That's clearly his cousin from San Diego, she was at his birthday party last month."

Maya stared. The girl in the photo—tall, confident, perfect—wearing an oversized jersey that said RAMS across the front.

"His cousin's name is Madison," Sasha said gently. "I remember her from Insta. She's, like, literally a lesbian, Maya."

The orange glow from Maya's led lights washed over them both. Mochi jumped onto the bed, head-butting Maya's hand until she scratched behind his ears.

"Why do I do this?" Maya whispered, suddenly exhausted. "Why do I always think—"

"Because you're seventeen and your brain is literally still developing?" Sasha squeezed her shoulder. "Also because boys are dumb and Leo hasn't replied because his phone got confiscated. Again."

"What?"

"Brooke told me. His parents found out he failed chem. He's grounded until finals."

Maya stared at her phone, the screen finally going dark. Her palm was still sweaty, her heart still racing, but something in her chest loosened.

"So... he wasn't ignoring me?"

"He literally can't text you. Also, he was definitely looking at you in that photo. Brooke said he's had a crush on you since homecoming."

Maya's face burned. "Wait, really?"

"You're so oblivious it's painful." Sasha stood up, stretching. "Now come on. Your mom made orange chicken and if we don't hurry, Lucas will eat it all."

Mochi meowed, indignant, as Maya finally set down her phone. The screen stayed dark. For the first time in days, she didn't pick it back up.